falk-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



A　sort　of　stag　fight；　perhaps。　　Or　they　may　have

supposed　Falk　had　come　in　only　to　annihilate　me

completely。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　Falk　had　come　in

because　Hermann　had　asked　him　to　inquire　after　the

precious　white　cotton　parasol　which；　in　the　worry

and　excitement　of　the　previous　day；　he　had　forgot…

ten　at　the　table　where　we　had　held　our　little　discus…

sion。



It　was　this　that　gave　me　my　opportunity。　　I

don't　think　I　would　have　gone　to　seek　Falk　out。

No。　　I　don't　think　so。　　There　are　limits。　　But　there

was　an　opportunity　and　I　seized　itI　have　already

tried　to　explain　why。　　Now　I　will　merely　state　that；

in　my　opinion；　to　get　his　sickly　crew　into　the　sea

air　and　secure　a　quick　despatch　for　his　ship　a　skip…

per　would　be　justified　in　going　to　any　length；　short

of　absolute　crime。　　He　should　put　his　pride　in　his

pocket；　he　may　accept　confidences；　explain　his　in…

nocence　as　if　it　were　a　sin；　he　may　take　advantage

of　misconceptions；　of　desires　and　of　weaknesses；　he

ought　to　conceal　his　horror　and　other　emotions；

and；　if　the　fate　of　a　human　being；　and　that　human

being　a　magnificent　young　girl；　is　strangely　in…

volvedwhy；　he　should　contemplate　that　fate

（whatever　it　might　seem　to　be）　without　turning　a

hair。　　And　all　these　things　I　have　done；　the　ex…

plaining；　the　listening；　the　pretendingeven　to

the　discretionand　nobody；　not　even　Hermann's

niece；　I　believe；　need　throw　stones　at　me　now。

Schomberg　at　all　events　needn't；　since　from　first　to

last；　I　am　happy　to　say；　there　was　not　the　slightest

〃fracas。〃



Overcoming　a　nervous　contraction　of　the　wind…

pipe；　I　had　managed　to　exclaim　〃Captain　Falk！〃

His　start　of　surprise　was　perfectly　genuine；　but

afterwards　he　neither　smiled　nor　scowled。　　He　sim…

ply　waited。　　Then；　when　I　had　said；　〃I　must　have

a　talk　with　you；〃　and　had　pointed　to　a　chair　at　my

table；　he　moved　up　to　me；　though　he　didn't　sit

down。　　Schomberg；　however；　with　a　long　tumbler

in　his　hand；　was　making　towards　us　prudently；　and

I　discovered　then　the　only　sign　of　weakness　in　Falk。

He　had　for　Schomberg　a　repulsion　resembling　that

sort　of　physical　fear　some　people　experience　at　the

sight　of　a　toad。　　Perhaps　to　a　man　so　essentially

and　silently　concentrated　upon　himself　（though　he

could　talk　well　enough；　as　I　was　to　find　out

presently）　the　other's　irrepressible　loquacity；　em…

bracing　every　human　being　within　range　of　the

tongue；　might　have　appeared　unnatural；　disgust…

ing；　and　monstrous。　　He　suddenly　gave　signs　of

restivenesspositively　like　a　horse　about　to　rear；

and；　muttering　hurriedly　as　if　in　great　pain；　〃No。

I　can't　stand　that　fellow；〃　seemed　ready　to　bolt。

This　weakness　of　his　gave　me　the　advantage　at　the

very　start。　　〃Verandah；〃　I　suggested；　as　if　ren…

dering　him　a　service；　and　walked　him　out　by　the

arm。　　We　stumbled　over　a　few　chairs；　we　had　the

feeling　of　open　space　before　us；　and　felt　the　fresh

breath　of　the　riverfresh；　but　tainted。　　The　Chi…

nese　theatres　across　the　water　made；　in　the　sparsely

twinkling　masses　of　gloom　an　Eastern　town　pre…

sents　at　night；　blazing　centres　of　light；　and　of　a

distant　and　howling　uproar。　　I　felt　him　become

suddenly　tractable　again　like　an　animal；　like　a

good…tempered　horse　when　the　object　that　scares

him　is　removed。　　Yes。　　I　felt　in　the　darkness　there

how　tractable　he　was；　without　my　conviction　of　his

inflexibilitytenacity；　rather；　perhapsbeing　in

the　least　weakened。　　His　very　arm　abandoning　it…

self　to　my　grasp　was　as　hard　as　marblelike　a　limb

of　iron。　　But　I　heard　a　tumultuous　scuffling　of

boot…soles　within。　　The　unspeakable　idiots　inside

were　crowding　to　the　windows；　climbing　over　each

other's　backs　behind　the　blinds；　billiard　cues　and　all。

Somebody　broke　a　window　pane；　and　with　the　sound

of　falling　glass；　so　suggestive　of　riot　and　devasta…

tion；　Schomberg　reeled　out　after　us　in　a　state　of

funk　which　had　prevented　his　parting　with　his

brandy　and　soda。　　He　must　have　trembled　like　an

aspen　leaf。　　The　piece　of　ice　in　the　long　tumbler

he　held　in　his　hand　tinkled　with　an　effect　of　chat…

tering　teeth。　　〃I　beg　you；　gentlemen；〃　he　expost…

ulated　thickly。　　〃Come！　　Really；　now；　I　must　in…

sist　。　。　。〃



How　proud　I　am　of　my　presence　of　mind！

〃Hallo；〃　I　said　instantly　in　a　loud　and　naive　tone；

〃somebody's　breaking　your　windows；　Schomberg。

Would　you　please　tell　one　of　your　boys　to　bring

out　here　a　pack　of　cards　and　a　couple　of　lights？

And　two　long　drinks。　　Will　you？〃



To　receive　an　order　soothed　him　at　once。　　It　was

business。　　〃Certainly；〃　he　said　in　an　immensely

relieved　tone。　　The　night　was　rainy；　with　wander…

ing　gusts　of　wind；　and　while　we　waited　for　the　can…

dles　Falk　said；　as　if　to　justify　his　panic；　〃I　don't

interfere　in　anybody's　business。　　I　don't　give　any

occasion　for　talk。　　I　am　a　respectable　man。　　But

this　fellow　is　always　making　out　something　wrong；

and　can　never　rest　till　he　gets　somebody　to　believe

him。〃



This　was　the　first　of　my　knowledge　of　Falk。

This　desire　of　respectability；　of　being　like　every…

body　else；　was　the　only　recognition　he　vouchsafed

to　the　organisation　of　mankind。　　For　the　rest　he

might　have　been　the　member　of　a　herd；　not　of　a　so…

ciety。　　Self…preservation　was　his　only　concern。

Not　selfishness；　but　mere　self…preservation。　　Sel…

fishness　presupposes　consciousness；　choice；　the　pres…

ence　of　other　men；　but　his　instinct　acted　as　though

he　were　the　last　of　mankind　nursing　that　law　like

the　only　spark　of　a　sacred　fire。　　I　don't　mean　to

say　that　living　naked　in　a　cavern　would　have　satis…

fied　him。　　Obviously　he　was　the　creature　of　the

conditions　to　which　he　was　born。　　No　doubt　self…

preservation　meant　also　the　preservation　of　these

conditions。　　But　essentially　it　meant　something

much　more　simple；　natural；　and　powerful。　　How

shall　I　express　it？　　It　meant　the　preservation　of　the

five　senses　of　his　bodylet　us　saytaking　it　in　its

narrowest　as　well　as　in　its　widest　meaning。　　I　think

you　will　admit　before　long　the　justice　of　this　judg…

ment。　　However；　as　we　stood　there　together　in　the

dark　verandah　I　had　judged　nothing　as　yetand

I　had　no　desire　to　judgewhich　is　an　idle　practice

anyhow。　　The　light　was　long　in　coming。



〃Of　course；〃　I　said　in　a　tone　of　mutual　under…

standing；　〃it　isn't　exactly　a　game　of　cards　I　want

with　you。〃



I　saw　him　draw　his　hands　down　his　facethe

vague　stir　of　the　passionate　and　meaningless　ges…

ture；　but　he　waited　in　silent　patience。　　It　was　only

when　the　lights　had　been　brought　out　that　he

opened　his　lips。　　I　understood　his　mumble　to　mean

that　〃he　didn't　know　any　game。〃



〃Like　this　Schomberg　and　all　the　other　fools

will　have　to　keep　off；〃　I　said　tearing　open　the　pack。

〃Have　you　heard　that　we　are　universally　supposed

to　be　quarrelling　about　a　girl？　　You　know　who

of　course。　　I　am　really　ashamed　to　ask；　but　is　it

possible　that　you　do　me　the　honour　to　think　me　dan…

gerous？〃



As　I　said　these　words　I　felt　how　absurd　it　was

and　also　I　felt　flatteredfor；　really；　what　else

could　it　be？　　His　answer；　spoken　in　his　usual　dis…

passionate　undertone；　made　it　clear　that　it　was　so；

but　not　precisely　as　flattering　as　I　supposed。　　He

thought　me　dangerous　with　Hermann；　more　than

with　the　girl　herself；　but；　as　to　quarrelling；　I　saw

at　once　how　inappropriate　the　word　was。　　We　had

no　quarrel。　　Natural　forces　are　not　quarrelsome。

You　can't　quarrel　with　the　wind　that　inconveniences

and　humiliates　you　by　blowing　off　your　hat　in　a

street　full　of　people。　　He　had　no　quarrel　with　me。

Neither　would　a　boulder；　falling　on　my　head；　have

had。　　He　fell　upon　me　in　accordance　with　the　law

by　which　he　was　movednot　of　gravitation；　like　a

detached　stone；　but　of　self…preservation。　　Of　course

this　is　giving　it　a　rather　wide　interpretation。

Strictly　speaking；　he　had　existed　and　could　have

existed　without　being　married。　　Yet　he　told　me　that

he　had　found　it　more　and　more　difficult　to　live

alone。　　Yes。　　He　told　me　this　in